There is an old saying that says “ you never out perform your inner circle”. There is lots of truth to that. But some kids have managed to exactly that over the years. Often kids don’t just out grow there environment, they leave it. Justine Pissott and Nina Emance both were from Tom’s River. But spent their basketball time outside of Tom’s River. Pissott went to RBC and became a McDonald All American. Meanwhile Nina Emance went to Trinity Hall and became the Player of The Year in the Shore. These are just two examples of kids who escaped there environments. But it’s the ones that stick around and who out perform there environment that are special. These are the truly rare and special ones..
ARI WISSEN is the leading candidate for Freshman of the Year in the Shore Conference. This season, she will lace them up for BRICK TWP. Brick is not known for being a basketball powerhouse. They certainly are not known for producing D1 players. Few of their players in past years have trained in competitive environments. Most don’t expect to play in college. Those that do wind up playing D2 or D3. The talent level in the school is not deep enough to provide the type of competition a player needs, if they wish to one day play with big girls in college. But Ari Wissen unlike Brick players of years gone bye is living in a different world, in fact two worlds. One is her high school environment. The other world is the one with D1 killers lurking on every court.
When at Brick, Ari Wissen is a star in the making. Everyone knows her name. She is the future face of the program. She is the straw that stirs the drink. But when she travels to Hoop Group or NBS to train or play. She is just another player trying to make her mark. She knows nothing will come easy and she is no longer a top dog or the toast of the town. But she perfectly fine with that setup, it why she shows up everyday. That’s because she gets exposed to the best players in the state, the best competition. She sees Division One players at every turn. She is in a fight for survival to earn respect. Again she’s perfectly fine fighting for her place and trying to prove she belongs. That’s because she knows, she gets all the things her high school environment can’t provide her. That’s why she is willing to go the extra yard. Why she is willing to live in both worlds and that is exactly what she has done. She is learning what it takes to play with the big dogs on the big stage!
It would’ve been very easy for Ari Wissen, to leave her home town and friends and run into the arms of a powerhouse program. Even today, you hear the buzz, that she’ll leave BRICK. That’s more wishful thinking than truth. But that’s because people are not knowledgeable. You see as long as Ari Wissen does not overdose on weak competition, she can have the best of both worlds. Her development will come from playing against elite players in her training sessions. Her exposure will come from playing AAU. More importantly she can get all this on her own terms and that my friends is real power and leads to success. Controlling your own destiny is something most players don’t get to do very often. Ari Wissen is not most players!
Sometime in the next 2-3 years BRICK is going to be a Top 10 team. Ari Wissen, will have a few D1 offers under belt by that time. She also will have polished up her game without having to leave her local school. You see her coach Kevin Stockhoff is building a program, not just a team. You see BRICK TWP. Is doing what other Ocean Teams and down on their luck teams didn’t do when greatness came knocking at their door. First he encourages his young players to seek outside competition. He is not afraid of other programs stealing his kids. He knows if he runs his program the right way. The kids will stay and develop. He runs a fall program, he runs a in season program and out of season program. His players are in Spring leagues, summer leagues and fall leagues. He runs training for kids and camps, the man is focused, organized and driven. You see BRICK COACH Kevin Stockhoff is building something that will last. He doesn’t plan on being a one and done program. It’s the reason he also doing something else, Ocean teams don’t do; His schedule is filled with legitimate competition. He is not padding wins. He knows much like Trinity Hall when Coach McCarthy was building his program, his kids are going to take some brutal beatings . No, he is not glutton for punishment , he is just getting his team ready. So when they mature and their time comes they’ll be ready. You see COACHES CAN OUT GROW THERE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL. Coach Stockhoff is not like other Ocean Coaches, his moment has finally arrived and he is not going to short change his school or his players… he has waited too long for this opportunity.
ARI WISSEN, is going to be special. Not because she had 31 points in the Fort Summer League, a record for a freshman. Not because she has a work ethic from the heavens. Not because she is insanely coachable and can take the heat of hard coaching. No, she going to be special because she is willing to get out of her comfort zone. Willing to out work her environment. ARI WISSEN FOLKS IS JUST GETTING STARTED! But she is sticking with her INNER CIRCLE
